The Premiership
by Shiranui-V
Summary: After failed three times in a row to regain the Premiership Cup, Konoha FC really needs to get back on the right track. Eventual SasuNaruSasu, ShikaNeji, GenRai, ShinoKiba, KakaIru, etc.
1. Prologue

A/N:  
I'm crazy about football and crazy about Naruto. I thought combine those two would be interesting, at least for me. Well, I kinda hope you guys think the same though! ;-)  
Anyway, I want to say thanks to pen-name and ichimaru-gin-and-tonic of Mangahelpers for helping me writing this fic. You guys are the best of friend a girl could ever hope for! Love ya!  
Last, I just want to inform you guys that English is not my first language, so don't shoot me!

**Prologue**

"The defending champion, Oto FC, is on top of the table and has 3 points cleared from their strongest opponent, Konoha FC, with only 2 matches to go. It means, Konoha doesn't have any other option but beat Oto this afternoon to prolong the title race and keep their chances to win the premiership. If Konoha_ did_ win, then the points will be level between those two and we won't know who the champion is until the referee blows the whistle to end the final match of the season next week. If they lost… then we're going to have an early celebration here in Sound Stadium. And what a celebration it would be for Oto if they manage to beat their biggest rival at home. So ladies and gentlemen, sit tight and enjoy the game. It's going to be one hell of a match!"

The sounds of commentary that came out of the telly filled the huge home theater of the Hyuuga Mansion. There was only one person there, Hiashi Hyuuga, the owner of the estate itself. He sat on a big, comfortable -- though he didn't look comfy at all -- black leather chair, eyes stuck on the 40 inches HDTV. The match was about to begin.

"There's the kick-off! Uzumaki kicks the ball slightly to Gaara Sabaku who passes it to Gai Maito. He's dribbling the ball… passed Yakushi… passed Abumi… lovely skill… ooh there's the famous step over! He's still on the ball… there's a lot of option for him… Shiranui on the left, Hatake on the right, Inuzuka on the middle…. He decided to kick a short pass to Inuzuka. Nice flick from Inuzuka to Hatake… good first touch from the right winger… here's the _cross_! Sabaku and Uzumaki are already in the six yards box… too heavy! It's a goal kick for Oto."

The Konoha supporters groaned loudly and can be heard over the television. If he wasn't too tense, Hiashi might be doing the same thing, but instead he only grabbed the arms of the chair. 'The match just began… relax…'

"Oto attacks. There's a long ball from Kidoumaru to the left side of the field… Sakon gets the ball. Hatake and Maito try to challenge him… that was close… he kicks the ball to the other side of the pitch… nice control from Ukon. Shiranui hot on his tail… not fast enough though… he already passed the ball to Abumi's direction… he takes it well and… shoot! _Great_ save by Namiashi!"

Hiashi let out a relieved breath, but his respite didn't last long. Minutes later, he was forced to hold his breath again as Sasuke Uchiha almost netted the ball. Thankfully Shino Aburame kicked it out before it passed the goal line.

Both teams were on fire that afternoon. They both know the stake was too high, especially for Konoha FC who desperately needed the 3 points. So they attacked and attacked, back and forth, trying to find a hole in the opponent's defense, trying to escape from the offside trap and, most importantly, trying to win!

"Ten minutes before half time and it's still nil-nil here at the Sound Stadium. It's been a fantastic match, full of excitement! So far we've seen two superb saves from each goal keeper; wonderful, _wonderful_ attempts of goals and countless of individual skill displays. You don't want to take your eyes off this match, not even for a second!"

True to the commentator's words, Hiashi didn't take his eyes off the screen. They followed the movement of the ball and players very attentively. Hoping… and wishing… a goal would come very soon for the advantage of Konoha FC.

"Ah… look at the quality ball from Sarutobi to Akimichi who slightly forward from his position as center back. Still Akimichi… lovely through ball to Shiranui… Shiranui crossed! There's Uzumaki there… superb control… shoot between Tsuchi's legs… deflection! It's a goal!"

The roar of happiness of Konoha fans filled the stadium. As Naruto was hugged by his team mates to celebrate the goal, the fans were starting to sing his anthem.

**Blond like an angel  
Fierce like a devil  
U-ZU-  
MA-KI!!**

"Yes!" yelled Hiashi as he jumped to his feet, fist on the air. 'So far so good… this could be our year…'

"Three minutes before halftime. A quick kick off… Uchiha kicks the ball to Kaguya… passed right away to Sakon. Sakon moves forward along the left wing… Hatake tries to confront him… _lovely_ inside hook from Sakon… he still got the ball… Tsuchi, the left fullback, overlapping from behind… Sakon lets go of the ball… Tsuchi takes it… she passed Yamashiro but Sarutobi already covered her… she kicks the ball back with her right heel… Sakon gets it… a pass _right_ into the middle of the box… Kaguya slides on the ground… Oh! He scored! What a beauty! One-one."

The home supporters cheered wildly, while some of the Konoha's holding their head down in disbelief. Oto had evened the score on the added time, just seconds before halftime! Bummer!

Hiashi couldn't believe his eyes either. He was literally pulling his hair out.

Meantime, on the pitch, the referee already blew the whistle. Players made their way out of the field. On the tunnel, Shikamaru patted the shoulders of Konoha players, speaking encouraging words to them as they walked in to the locker room. Ibiki and Tsunade followed behind them.

Back in the Hyuuga Mansion, Hiashi was no longer in shock -- thanks to the double shot of whiskey. Pouring another shot, he walked back from the mini-bar on the corner of the home theater to his chair. He didn't pay much attention to the conversation between the commentators who were reviewing the first half. He was deep in his own thought. 'They better perform in the second half. They have to!'

"For those of you who just join us here at Skye Sport, the second half of the biggest match of the season between Oto and Konoha, live from the Sound Stadium, is about to start. The score so far is one-one. Sasuke Uchiha and Kimimaro Kaguya already on their position at the center of the pitch, set to do the kick off. That's the whistle! Game on!"

The sound of the whistle caught Hiashi's attention back in to the game. His right hand grasped the crystal glass that filled with amber liquid very tightly while his eyes firmly watched the telly.

"Nice block from Akimichi! The young center back used his own body to stop the powerful shot from Ukon. The ball is back on Konoha's side… Hatake on the run… he changes direction to escape from Sakon and Tsuchi… he made it but Kidoumaru engages in… Konoha's captain passes the ball to the left then runs forward… Inuzuka was there to take the pass, ready to give the ball back to the skipper… Oooh, _nice_ steal from the other skipper, Yakushi!"

"God _damn_ it!" yelled Hiashi who was stomping his feet hard on the floor.

"Here comes Sakon again… looks like he changed position with his twin brother, trying his luck from the right side. Yamashiro tackled… almost get the ball… Sakon keeps running… there's Sarutobi there and the big fellow regains the ball. A long kick to the left side, Shiranui on the ball now… running in and out of the left wing… passed Yakushi… passed Tsuchi… Kidoumaru challenges him… _not_ succeeded… the left-winger passed him too… slight through ball between Tsuchi's legs to… _himself_! He does this a lot, this Shiranui lad… Uzumaki, Sabaku and Inuzuka, all three already in the penalty box… is Shiranui going to pass or go for himself…? Ouch, that's _got_ to hurt! _Wicked_ tackle from Kinuta. The referee points at the white spot. It's a penalty! What a _great_ chance for Konoha to lead once more, and there's still 20 minutes on the clock."

The Konoha supporters screamed like crazy. They realized the big impact of the penalty for their beloved team's campaign this season, if it hit the target.

Hiashi excitedly jumped from the big chair. But merely second later he was back to his seat again. Fingers of his left hand curled into a fist… the tension was high…

"Shiranui is still on the ground, holding his left leg. Let's hope that hamstring injury that's been haunting him this entire season will _not_ come up in this match. Paramedics are attending him right now... Oto's captain, Yakushi, is trying to reason with the ref. Kinuta could get a red card for that ruthless tackle, and it'll be a _huge_ disadvantage for the home side. Well, it looks like Oto got what they wanted. The ref just pulled out a yellow card! And here we go… Uzumaki sets the ball on the spot; apparently he's the one who's going to take the responsibility. This particular young player is one of the most _exciting_ strikers beside the Uchiha brothers, the Sabaku brothers, and Momochi of Kiri FC. From the 28 penalties he had taken for Konoha, Uzumaki had only missed _once_, and that was when he played against Seireitei FC three seasons ago. So, he's most likely going to make it now. He got the mental for it, and surely the skill."

The home fans made irritating noises as big as they could, trying to break Naruto's concentration. As the man under the spotlight, the pressure on Naruto's shoulders was huge. The blond locked on his target and made the shot…

"OH! Could you _believe_ that??? Uzumaki's shot was denied by the goal post!!! What a waste! Just kill me… _kill_ me…"

'And me…' Hiashi closed his face with his left hand as he groaned hard, uttering his anger and frustration. 'Bloody hell! Bloody HELL!'

Naruto dropped to his knees and seized his head in shock. He just blew the golden opportunity! Kakashi grabbed his right shoulder and whispered something to the striker. Naruto got on his feet and returned to his position. Jirobou placed the ball at the edge of the six yards box, and he took a goal kick for Oto.

"The voices of disappointment from Konoha supporters and that expression on Shikamaru Nara's face said it all. The Boy Genius must have _known_ what a great chance Konoha had just now, and his striker _failed_ to take advantage of it. _But_, there's still fifteen minutes on the clock and everything is possible for both… now _what_ do we have here? There's some kind of riot is happening on the pitch! Shiranui and Sakon are forehead to forehead, Sabaku and Kaguya are changing words… and obviously not polite ones, Uchiha is on the ground and Uzumaki is being held by the captain! Let's see the replay here. Uh-hmm… it looks like Uchiha whispered something to Uzumaki that snapped the blond terribly and made him push his former teammate _hard_! The ref calls Uzumaki and Uchiha… this could be bad for Konoha… The two skippers, Hatake and Yakushi, are trying to get involved in the conversation between the ref and two strikers, but denied by the ref who strictly tells them to back off. Here comes the card… what would it be…? Hold your breath, people… it's a yellow one! Each team still has 11 player and we still have 10 minutes worth of a match."

Kakashi, again, whispered something to Naruto's ear before smacking the back of the striker's head slightly. Naruto forced a weak smile and brought his mind back to the game.

The tension at the Hyuuga Mansion became unbearable to Hiashi. The whiskey in his right hand was long gone but he still clutched the crystal glass like his life was depending on it. 'Eight minutes to go… a draw won't do us any good! Come _on_, boys!'

"Oto tries a different approach now. Kidoumaru left his post on center back and is playing between Yakushi and Abumi on the midfield to strengthen their attack. The home team now has _five_ midfielder against Konoha's four. Yakushi, Abumi and Kidoumaru moves forward together, kicking short passes between them… they managed to cope with the challenge attempts that came from Inuzuka and Maito. Kidoumaru moves widely to the left, passing the ball to Sakon who's overlapping from the left back of the pitch. Sakon keeps running… He creates an opening for a perfect cross… he _kicks_… Kaguya is there but he let the ball through to… Uchiha! He's the target man all along! What a clever, _clever_ move! Uchiha cushions the ball with his chest, kicks a volley from 10 yards, _straight_ to the heart of Konoha goal! He got it! Game over!"

Oto supporters were yelling, cheering, and practically dancing on their feet. Sasuke, who took his bow in front of the fans, was being crushed to the ground by his teammates. And finally, Orochimaru, the Oto manager, let out his famous vicious grin.

"Sasuke Uchiha… The man who _used_ to play for Konoha FC is the very same man who just _shattered_ their hope. What a dramatic, _dramatic_ ending!"

Konoha fans were almost in tears. Some already _were_ in tears. Shikamaru threw his cigarette on the ground and squashed it with his right heel severely. Ibiki looked -- if possible -- scarier than ever. Kakashi took a deep breath, grabbed the ball from the net and put it on the center of the field. He yelled at his teammates, reminding them that they still have a match to finish.

"Konoha needs a _miracle_ now. They have to score _two_ goals and they don't even have _five_ minutes. Sabaku took the kick off; passes it to Hatake on his right. All Oto players have moved back to their defense area, leaving Uchiha up front. A cross from Hatake to Uzumaki… _blocked_ by Tayuya. Throw in for Konoha. Inuzuka takes the ball; passes it to Maito… he makes an effort to move forward but three Oto players are blocking his path… the attacking midfielder tries a different approach… he kicks the ball to the left… Shiranui gets the ball… shoot through ball to the middle… _another_ block from Oto player… another throw in for the visitor. Looks like the home team had set their mind to spend last minutes of the match defensively. Even Uchiha has moved back to Oto's side of the pitch. Only seconds remaining until the ref blow the whistle… _Oh_, there it is!"

The Sound Stadium roared their excitement! Fans screamed one word over and over, "Champion! Champion! Champion!" as Oto players hugged each other. Some ran to the side of the pitch to hug their manager, some ran toward the fans and threw them their shirt.

"This result confirmed the fact that Oto FC, once again, for two years in a row, becomes the champion of the premiership. Konoha FC, who fought superbly and bravely, _failed_ to bring home their crown for the third time. The last time Shikamaru Nara's team won this league was four seasons ago. But they're surely going to come back next season! You can't just write off a team like Konoha FC. On the screen we can see the smile of satisfaction on Fugaku Uchiha's face, the owner of Oto FC for the last 3 years. Many people said that he was the man behind Oto's…"

The commentary was cut off as Hiashi Hyuuga turned off the huge television set abruptly. The crystal glass was no longer in his grasp; it had turned into pieces when it shattered on the marble floor.

"Bollocks!!!"

-- TBC --


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Two weeks after the away match...**

"This is _completely_ unacceptable!" Hiashi screamed as he slammed the door behind him.

"What is 'this' exactly, Hiashi?" asked the big, white-haired man, raising his eyes from his laptop computer. Clearly he was annoyed by the interruption. He was in the middle of a very important mission, which is finishing his latest best-seller novel, Icha-Icha Sudden Death.

Hiashi pointed his finger at his Konoha FC co-owner, Jiraiya. "The _boys_, Jiraiya!" shouted Hiashi. "They played like _crap_!"

"Hey, don't talk about me boys like that!" Jiraiya calmly replied.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't badmouth them! This is my team too, damn it! We own this club together. I have every right to curse them as much as you do!" Hiashi's face was red as a lobster.

"The lads are not even close for being called crap," Jiraiya said. "They're good players, every single one of them. They finished second, securing our place in the Champions League." He closed his laptop's monitor and stared directly into Hiashi's eyes.

"Second is _still_ second!" Hiashi raised his fist at Jiraiya. "They don't have silverware for second places. Besides, a winning team should _never_ be satisfied being on second place, no matter what good comes with it. And Konoha used to be a winning team!"

"Who said anything about being satisfied?" Jiraiya spoke as he raised himself from his seat. "I'm just saying that things could be worse than what we have now. And if silverware is the only thing that you care about, we _did_ win the League Cup. I'm sure it's there somewhere in the trophy room…"

"Bollocks!" screamed Hiashi. "League Cup is merely a consolation prize. I want the _real_ deal. The premiership! And I want that Nara prick _sacked_!" He slammed his right fist on Jiraiya's desk and cracked it.

"Hold it right there!" Jiraiya looked surprised but with one eye on his laptop. "What's this about Shikamaru? Do you realize what you just say? We have, in our grasp, the most brilliant manager ever! The youngest manager in the history who ever won the premiership! And now you want to sack him? Are you sure you didn't hit your head somewhere?" Jiraiya started to raise his voice to Hiashi, even though he was glad that his laptop was not harmed. Football is life, but Icha-Icha Sudden Death _is_ the essence of life.

"He did win the premiership for us in his first season here and the FA cup in his second, I give you that. Then what? After we lost Uchiha to Oto, he gave us nothing."

"_Nothing_? Let's see… four years in charge… and he gave us… one premiership, one FA cup, one League Cup, and _never_ failed to get us the ticket to the Champion League. Open your history book, mate! Not even the oldest, most mature manager could've achieved that. You should be grateful we got him on our side."

"One more season! If he failed, then he's out! Or… Konoha FC will loose financial support from the Hyuuga Family forever."

After dropping the ultimatum, Hiashi left Jiraiya's office, chin raised highly in the air.

"Old money prick!" yelled Jiraiya to the closed door. He no longer had any mood to write, let alone writing smut. Now all he could think about was the ultimatum that old snob just threw at his face.

The Konoha FC owner replayed the conversation he just had with his partner in his mind and found it very strange. Konoha FC was _indeed_ a winning team -- they had sixteen Premiership title, eleven FA Cups, two League Cups, and two European Cups as proof -- but that didn't mean they'd always win the Premiership every year. There were moments when they didn't even get anything, not even a place in the Champion League. But Hiashi _never_ tried to fire the manager in charge at those moments, even though -- when compared to what Shikamaru had accomplished so far -- that person's performance was very bad.

Then Jiraiya remembered the name that Hiashi used to refer to the young manager. 'Nara prick.' He was sure that Hiashi's tone held more venom when he said 'Nara' than when the man said 'prick'. Hmm… How peculiar.

Jiraiya grabbed his cell phone and dialed Shikamaru's number.

"Hello?"

"Shikamaru! Where are you?"

"My office… which is next to yours. What's up?"

"Just come to my office. We need to talk!"

"I figure out that much. I'm already in front of your office."

"Then what are you waiting for? A sodding invitation? Come in!"

The pony tail chap, walked in to Jiraiya's office with his laid back manner. Quietly he took a seat in front of his boss who was at that time looked very impatient.

"What's the problem between you and Hiashi Hyuuga?" asked Jiraiya straight to the point.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow before returning Jiraiya's question with one of his own, "Problem?"

"Awww, don't act stupid, because you can't, ok? So, why don't you just let it out, son!" mocked the old man.

There were only two possibilities regarding this matter, but if somebody going to make a bet out of it, Shikamaru knew exactly where to put his money on. He wanted to be sure though, hence he asked calmly, "Can I at least know the reason that makes you think I have a problem with Sir Hyuuga?"

"I'll give you three! He called you Nara prick, he wanted me to sack you, and then he gave me an ultimatum. I quote: 'One more season! If he failed then he's out! Or… Konoha FC will loose financial support from the Hyuuga Family forever.'"

Shikamaru was convinced even more, but he was just not ready to give in. Instead of blurting out the truth, he responded, "I think he just disappointed of the result of our campaign last season, just like everyone else in Konoha."

"Right…," retorted Jiraiya cynically before added on, "Now, don't you make me start calling you Nara prick too! This is beyond football… much deeper… It's personal."

Shikamaru snorted. He knew that he can not hide this forever, therefore he decided to tell Jiraiya the truth.

"I'm dating one of his kids."

"It really _is_ personal!" said the white haired guy, suddenly looked very satisfied with himself, knowing that his presumption had proven right. He probed even more, "Which one? Hinata or Hanabi? Hey, I thought Hinata is dating Na…"

"Neji," cut Shikamaru.

The Konoha FC owner shot him disbelief look and looked stupefy for a moment before managed to speak again, "You Nara prick! You just have to date the heir, aren't you? No wonder he so pissed!"

Jiraiya keep pressed on, "How long you two had been dating?"

"Two months."

"The lads know?"

"Yes."

"They're fine with it?"

"Let's just say that after they caught Raidou and Genma in the act at the shower, the boys could handle everything!"

"Hmmm…" Jiraiya held his chin with his right hand and without realizing it let out a smirk. A small one, but indeed very suspicious.

Nothing escaped Shikamaru's eyes though. The young manager stated, "Don't _you_ even think about it! Don't you dare put my boys in one of your books!"

"What are you saying?" Jiraiya said innocently. Well, he tried anyway.

"Awww, don't act innocent, because you can't, ok?" jeered Shikamaru, dark eyes stared deeply into the old man's.

"Fine."

"I mean it, Jiraiya."

"_Fine_," promised the legendary adult novel writer. "Talk about the boys, how are they anyway?"

"They're fine. I gave them 3 weeks off. They'll return in 2 week and we'll start training right away."

"How about Genma's hamstring?"

"Nothing to worry about. According to Tsunade, his injury is not as bad as we thought."

"And… Naruto?"

"I just talked to him on the phone before you called me. He still wants to drown himself. But I'm sure he'll get over it. We all have our down moment."

Jiraiya nodded his head, clearly satisfied. "Very well then, Shikamaru. Let's be ready for the new campaign!"

Shikamaru just smiled a bit before rising from his chair and walked toward the door.

"I'll choose you, you know."

Shikamaru stopped on his track, turned his body slightly and again raised his eyebrows.

"If Hiashi true to his word and we failed again this season, I'd pick you."

Shikamaru nodded his head and then closed the door behind him.

-TBC-


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:**  
To make the competition in this story looks like a real competition I need a lot of team. That's why you're going to find team from other anime, series, comics, etc. I won't ruin the surprise by giving you the list of the teams right now. You'll find them eventually along the way, so please stick with me.

Once again I want to say thanks to pen-name and ichimaru-gin-and-tonic of Mangahelpers for their help. Thanks guys!

And of course I want to say thanks to all of you who read, reviewed and rated this story. Thank you so much!

**Chapter 2**

Naruto was absolutely sure that he just took the longest shower in the history of his 21 years of life. He's been standing under the full blast of cold water ever since he got off the phone from Shikamaru almost three hours ago. He needed the cold shower to cool off his head, said he to himself. But apparently the cool off action has turned into a futile drowning action.

Naruto was not going to blame Shikamaru for his wrinkled body because he knew that the young manager was only doing his job. He and his team-mates were the most important assets of Konoha FC. Of course Shikamaru would call them -- on daily basis if he needs to -- to make sure that they were okay. Beside, lately everything seemed to trigger his memory of that damn penalty! So, Shikamaru's phone call had nothing to do with his half-hearted suicidal effort.

Let himself out of the bathroom with only a towel tugged on his hips, the blonde walked straight toward his huge walk-in closet to snatch a pair of orange cotton boxer. Clad in his favorite boxer and nothing more, Naruto strolled into the kitchen to grab one bottle of cold beer from two-door stainless steel refrigerator before ending his journey at the living room of his penthouse that was decorated with newest generation of home entertainment products and comfortable dark brown leather chairs. Grabbed the remote control from the small coffee table, Naruto then take a seat on one of the chair and turn on the telly.

"…already here with us in the studio, our well-known pundits and experts who I'm sure didn't need any introduction _at all_, Mr. Hayate Gekkou, the ex defensive midfielder of Konoha FC, and Mr. Baki, the ex center back and ex manager of Suna FC."

"This evening we're going to see the footage of the best action, the greatest goals, the greatest saves, the shocking moments and the _juiciest_ dramas of the latest season of Premiership that had just finished last week, and then of course have a discussion about them. We're also going to talk about the _astonishing_ result of the FA Cup Final. On the contrary of everyone prediction, Seireitei FC had snatched the FA Cup under the nose of Akatsuki FC with _three_ goals to one!

"So stay tune with us here in the special edition of 'Football Craze' with me Lee Rock and my lovely partner…"

"Sakura Haruno. We'll be _right_ back after the break."

Still in a very tender mental condition, Naruto realized that he shouldn't watch the show. Nine out of ten of the possibilities, they would talk about _the_ penalty but, curiosity was tickling him. He wanted to know whether any of his goals or his actions in the pitch was included in the Top 10 list. Who could blame him for that, right? Therefore against his better judgment, the young striker turned the volume even louder.

"Hello there, back again with us here in special edition of 'Football Craze.' _So_, all the cards were already on the table. The results had revealed. Konoha got the League Cup, Seireitei got the FA Cup and Oto got the biggest prize of all, the Premiership -- for second time in a row if I may add. Your impression of the latest season, gentlemen?"

"Fantastic, Lee. The competition was fierce. It feels like I've been riding a giant roller coaster the whole season!"

"Yup, I feel very much the same, Hayate, especially when I saw the rivalry between the big four. The point differences between them were so damn tight. The farthest was 5; otherwise it was only 1 or 2 or even level. And it happened from the start of the season till the end! Oto was on top of the table at the earliest weeks, then Akatsuki hold them in that dramatic draw, gave Konoha their chance to be on top for five weeks before Seireitei _again_ beat them and snatch the top position from Konoha. But then next week would be a different story and other team would take top position. _Every_ week of that season was full of surprises, so it really was an amazing… _fantastic_ season!

"Do you really think that Oto FC deserve their crown, Hayate?"

"Sakura, I believe every team that played in the latest season deserves that crown. They had shown determination, willpower, spirit, strength, and courage. But this is a competition. You need to be the best of the best to win. And _yes_, last season Oto was the best. That was the reason they got to keep the crown for another year."

"I think what Sakura intended to ask you, Hayate, whether you think that _Konoha_ deserve that crown more than Oto."

"((laughing)) Are you trying to ask where I put my loyalty here, Lee? Well, no need to ask really, it's still and always will be with Konoha. But I have to admit that for the last couple of seasons, Oto was simply the best."

Naruto winced a bit when he heard one of the senior players of Konoha FC admitted in national television no less that Oto FC was better than their team. But there's no use to deny it anyway, if _he_ was the best at that time he shouldn't… _Stop it!_ The blond forced himself to halt any thought about… you know what… and put his attention back to the show.

"Now, let's take a look of some of the best actions, goals, and saves that had been assembled by our 'Football Craze' staff."

The player that showed by the first footage was fast. He stepped over the ball many times in inhumanly speed; evaded any challenge attempts from the opponent to steal the ball from his feet before finally kicked a superb through ball to the striker upfront.

"Gai is a brilliant attacking midfielder. Usually when he uses that technique -- he called it Renge -- he's unstoppable. I mean just look at that speed. One, two, three… _six_ step over under one second, it was lightning!"

"I couldn't agree more, Hayate. Gai Maito without a doubt is a great player and Renge is one of the reasons why he's my favorite player of all time!"

"Ahhh, that's why you cut your hair in the same style as his, I take it."

"You got that right, Baki! His sense of style is _so_ cool!"

Naruto was laughing so hard. Baki's expression after he heard Lee's full-spirit praise of Gai's sense of style was priceless! The young striker couldn't help wondering how on earth Hayate and Sakura were not rolling on the floor laughing at the moment but, nevertheless one or two snickers escaping their lips.

The action in the second footage was simply breathtaking. A long beautiful cross was coming from the right side of the pitch. A tall player with long white hair that was just too beautiful too be true jumped into the air like an angel then strike that perfect ball with the left side of his head straight into the left corner of the opponent goal.

"Now _that_ was what we called a perfect header! See how high the jump was? The timing? The power? _Perfect_."

"_He_ is perfect, Baki. Sephiroth is simply… ((daydreaming))"

"It's the hair effect, Sakura… ((snickering)) I'm so sorry… Hey, I'm just kidding! But hair or no hair Sephiroth of Final Fantasy United is one of those strikers who had a deadly header. In fact, he _is_ the best header in the competition."

"Talk about _hair_ effect, Hayate. How about this?"

Another player with long beautiful hair -- it was black now -- showed in the next footage. His eyes watched the ball that was carried by his opponent firmly and then in one swift motion he was sliding in the ground, taking the ball with him, and standing in both feet before turning his body a bit and securing the ball in his possession. All was done so gracefully yet so fast, the opponent didn't even realise what hit him until it was too late.

"Oh… you just _love_ to rub old wounds, Lee! Byakuya Kuchiki is one the best midfielder in the world. What we saw just now is a wonderful example of a brilliant tackle. Except this man real ability is _not_ in defensive department but in the way he orchestrated Seireitei FC's attack. I knew this from personal experience, before my injury forced me to retire. Every time our respective clubs played against each other, the midfield was our war zone. After all, he was the attacking mid and I was the defensive one. Let just say he made my life a living hell each time we met. He beat the crap out of me!"

"Ouch! But Hayate, if Byakuya had managed to beat you, what chance is your replacement, Kiba Inuzuka, has against him?"

"I wouldn't write off Kiba so easily, Sakura. He's a very talented player and he's still young. We haven't seen the best of him yet. So, anything is possible for that lad, including beat one Byakuya Kuchiki."

Proud smile formed in Naruto's face. Even though Kiba can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, he knew that Kiba was one good footballer. Acknowledgment from a senior player was something that he really deserved.

Next footage was coming in the telly and it looked like the 'hair saga' was not done yet. This long haired player was much younger and smaller if compared to the previous two but his without ball movement was awesome. He was running along the left side of the pitch and then driving into the box area to break the defense of the opponent while his eyes watched closely to his tandem's -- the one who had the ball -- action on the right side. Without warning the short haired striker chopped a very high drop ball near the far left goal post. And just like magic the long haired player was already positioning himself there to strike a short and powerful volley between the goalie right arm and goal post straight into the net.

"What a fantastic strike from an almost impossible angle!"

"Yup, like always Haku's volley is very direct and lethal!"

"But Baki… Hayate… the most lethal thing about that thrilling piece of action we've just seen was the teamwork between Haku and Zabuza Momochi! It feels like they _know_ each other mind so well they able to read their partner next move like they had implant a… a _Bluetooth_ in their brain or something, don't you think?"

"Good observation, lass. Their teamwork is certainly to die for! But there was no implant whatsoever, it was just a mattered of trust, understanding, being unselfish and of course a lot of practice!"

"I'm just joking about the Bluetooth, Baki!"

"How about the collaboration of Sasuke Uchiha – before he left Konoha, and Naruto Uzumaki, Hayate? I used to watch them play in wonder, thinking those lads must have eyes at the back of their head. I bet if we blindfolded them, they still able to tell each other's position just like that. Scary!"

"Now that you mentioned them, Lee, I must say that sometimes I got the same impression too. But the truth is Naruto and Sasuke were played blind football. You can only achieve that when you had been played together for so long. The boys played together for their school's team since they were 8 years old before Konoha FC's talent scout found them 6 years later. In the Konoha Football Academy they were played along side each other for another three years and then got promoted to the first team when Shikamaru took charge and we all know what happened after that, right?"

"Yup, they won their first Premiership in their debut year! Oh, they were so _good_ together! I still couldn't believe it that Sasuke left!"

"Well, you are not the only one, Lee. Furthermore, the reason why he left Konoha was still unknown."

"I wouldn't tell it unknown, Sakura. His father, Fugaku Uchiha, just bought a football club that was mediocre. I mean face it… the last time Oto won the premiership before Fugaku Era was decades ago. And now, the new Oto got the money and they need good player. If I were Fugaku, I certainly am going to ask my son who was happen to be the hottest young striker to play for my club. That must be the main reason!"

"Not so fast, Baki! If it was the main reason then Itachi would played for Oto too instead of Akatsuki. Beside, I'm telling you, Sasuke is a _huge_ fan of Konoha FC! Playing for Konoha is something that he really wanted. That's why his transfer to Oto was unthinkable. There must be _something_; otherwise he won't be leaving his beloved club so easily."

At the moment Naruto couldn't pay any attention to the show anymore. Hayate's last words stuck on his mind like a spider web. 'There must be _something_…'

Yeah, Hayate got that right! There must be something… some big reason… that even _he_ who was considered as his best friend had no idea whatsoever. Naruto still remembered how he lost count of how many times he let those words -- I don't know or I have no idea -- came out of his mouth to answer the questions from journalist, friends and fans regarding Sasuke. He also still remembered that day like it was yesterday…

_  
"Shit! I'm late! Ibiki's going to skin me alive!" yelled Naruto to himself as he walked into the empty locker room of Konoha Training Ground. Taking off his denim jacket as fast as he can, Naruto reached into his locker to grab his boots, shin pads and socks. The sound of door being open distracted Naruto. It made him turned his body facing the door and yelled some more, "Sasuke bastard, you're late too! Ibiki will be furious with both of us!"_

_"I didn't come here to train. Just need to grab my stuff and leave."_

_"WHAT? You're going to skip practice? Are you out of your mind???"_

_"Dobe, I'm leaving."_

_"Yeah I know you're leaving… you just said that. Where you're going anyway and with whom?" asked the blond, lips outlined his naughty grin. "So, _finally_ there's someone who is able to charm you enough and lure you to skip training? Must be some…"_

_"Naruto, you heard me wrong," cut Sasuke as he walking toward his locker which located beside Naruto's. "I came here to take my stuff. I've decided to accept Oto's offer."_

_Naruto couldn't believe his ears and trying to say something but nothing comes out of his mouth. He was speechless. His eyes probed Sasuke's gesture, trying to find any hint that his best friend was only joking but Sasuke never joke. Calmly, the black haired striker began to move his stuff from the locker into his blue carrier. The bastard was fucking serious! He's going to leave for real!_

_"Why? You already turned down their offer!"_

_"I've changed my mind."_

_"B-but… WHY???"_

_"It's none of your business!"_

_Naruto had enough. He grabbed Sasuke's arms, pulled that lean body to the left and then pushed it into the locker hard._

_BANG!_

_"You're full of shit, you know that??? Like hell it's not my fucking business! You are my partner and we are in the middle of a _fucking season_! There's no way I can adjusting to other striker in such a short time! You're going to cost us the Premiership!"_

_"Whether Konoha FC able to defend their title again this season or not is not my concern anymore!"_

_"Sasuke!!! What's gotten into you? This is _Konoha FC_! Our. beloved. team! How many times that we had imagine this? We made a promise when we were nine, remember? _Together_ we're going to play for Konoha… _together_ we're going to win the entire silverware and trophies in football world… and we did some of it, right? We played for Konoha now, we won the Premiership last season, and we're going to win it again this season. Sasuke, _please_… stick with me! Let's us fulfill _our dream_ together."_

_Sasuke didn't say anything. He just looked straight into Naruto's blue eyes, and boy… that was cold._

_"Get off of me, Naruto."_

_Realized that he had done everything that he could, Naruto stepped back and released Sasuke. The said man then continued packing his things while Naruto gazed at him silently. Once he was finished, Sasuke walked slowly toward the door and turned his body slightly before bid his farewell, "I'll see you in the pitch, Dobe."  
_

The sounds of high-pitch laughter that came out from the telly brought Naruto's back to reality. Shook his head a bit, he released himself from the past and forced himself to pay attention to the show once more.

"…to play the footage of this very shocking moment that had decided the result of the entire season."

Naruto shifted uncomfortably on his chair for he knew which 'shocking moment' scene that was going to be on air soon. And if he was being smart he knew that he should turn off that damn telly but, he wanted to know the pundits opinion about his failure.

Brace himself by hold tightly on the arms of the chair, Naruto watched the scene that had been haunted his dream for the past two weeks. 'God… just one inch… just _one_ fucking inch…'

"Badmouthing this player's ability based on this performance alone isn't fair. Beside, I still think Naruto Uzumaki is one hell of a football player!"

"Very true, Hayate. He's young, he's fast, not to mention very sharp. Sometimes when you play in a very crucial match, there's a lot of X-factor involved including luck. That lad was unlucky at that time."

"And don't forget about the hat-trick he scored at the final match of the season, Baki! What a brilliant performance!"

"Yup, what a way to answer the critics that he got from the newspapers and the fans after that penalty fiasco. Naruto closed Konoha's campaign this season with a bang! He showed them that Konoha was still here and going to come back next season!"

"But gentlemen… no matter how great the hat-trick was… still, it _comes_ too late."

That was the end of it. Naruto just couldn't take it anymore. Comes too late… yeah… Lee was telling the truth… the hat-trick _did_ come too late!

Grabbed the remote control, Naruto was turned off the TV abruptly. Afterwards he took a deep breath several times, trying to calm himself. It was a very bad idea to watch that show in the first place! He needed more beer.

Get off from the chair slowly, Naruto was shocked by familiar soft voice that greeting him from behind.

"Looking _hot_, baby."

Turned his body toward the sound, Naruto was shocked even more. There, leaning against the wall of the living room was Hinata Hyuuga, his steady girlfriend for the last 2 years, wearing something that he wouldn't consider as a dress while feasting on his half-naked state. He had no idea how come he didn't hear the clicking sound when she opened the penthouse door or the tapping sound when she walked on the floor with her killer black stilettos but, may he burn in hell… he couldn't take no notice of her now.

How could he when she was wearing that black skimpy brocade-silk dress that was more revealing than covering her voluptuous body? Any designer that custom-made that dress for her should put in jail! Looking at this absolutely breathtaking view in front of him, the blond striker knew that he must be out of his mind if he didn't like what he saw for she was a real beauty. She got smooth fair skin, long black silky hair, big lavender eyes, sexy lips, full breast, narrow waist, round ass, long shapely legs, to put it shortly, Hinata was… perfect and Naruto was… as Kiba, one of his teammates, called him… one lucky bastard.

"No one is hotter than you, doll."

"Hmm… I think you're right," she answered cheekily.

Naruto chuckled as he saw Hinata starting to strike him with her famous pose that made paparazzi flock around her like maniac and made her appear in hundreds of magazine's and tabloid's pages. He was completely aware that Hinata was only teasing him because he knew the _real_ her. He knew exactly what it was underneath of sophisticated and glamorous Lady Hinata Hyuuga, crème de la crème of Konoha high class society: the sweet, loving, and caring Hinata… his beloved. "Come here."

Hinata walked toward his boyfriend then stopped right in front of him. She leaned over to claim Naruto lips before teased him even more, "As you stated earlier,_no one_ is hotter than me, but _you_ are definitely the hottest guy in the pitch."

Suddenly, the mood in that room changed. "I rather become the best penalty taker in the pitch than the hottest player," mumbled Naruto.

It was not a reaction that Hinata wanted. "Argh! Are we going to go back to that misfortune day again?" she asked irritatingly, lips were starting to pout. "I thought you're hiding here from those damn journalists and become anti-social so you can forget about it."

"I'm trying, doll… but I…" Naruto trailed off when he looked at Hinata's expression as she gently stroke his face.

"It's been two weeks already, baby. Please?" she asked pleadingly.

Naruto cupped Hinata's cheek with both of his hands then leaned his forehead against hers. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Suddenly, Hinata pushed Naruto's body backward, forcing him to sit on the leather chair before in a very slow motion slipped her dress from her shoulders and let it slides on the floor. With only black thong clad in her heavenly body, Hinata was gliding on to Naruto's laps. "A distraction, that's what you need."

_He_ was one lucky bastard indeed.

-- TBC--


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

I want to say thanks to my beta, **bloodhill** and **Daryn Maxwell** who wiling to spare their time to edit my story. Thank you so much!

**Chapter 3**

**The next morning... **

"Why can't these vultures leave that poor kid alone? Damn wankers!!" swore Asuma as he impatiently folded the morning paper and slammed it to the kitchen counter.

"ASUMA!" yelled Kurenai, her red eyes shooting a deadly glare toward the back of her husband's head even as her hand lovingly brushed the soft black hair of the five-year-old boy sitting at the dining table eating his scrambled eggs.

Asuma turned his body to face his wife and son. "I'm so sorry, honey… it's just that…"

"What does 'wanker' means?" asked Ryuu Sarutobi innocently, cutting off Daddy's words effectively as Mommy let out another deadly glare.

"It's eh… something that we're going to talk about in eh… ten years time," answered the super defender of Konoha FC under the close watch of his clearly annoyed wife.

Fortunately for Asuma, Ryuu didn't press the matter any further. The boy just shrugged his shoulders and finished his breakfast. "I'm done. Can I go swim now, Mommy?"

"In twenty minutes. Now, why don't you go to your room and put on your bathing suit?"

"The black one?"

"Yes, the black one."

"Okay."

Asuma watched his son running out of the dining room before turning his attention back toward his beautiful wife. The lethal glare was still very much intact.

_Here we go…_ the_ words-you-don't-speak-off-in-front-of-your-child lecture…_

"So, what exactly did those _wankers_ say about our poor Naruto?" she asked calmly.

Asuma, who had been so prepared to take any kind of wrath, certainly didn't expect _that_ one coming. Flabbergasted, Asuma could only stare at Kurenai with his mouth wide open.

Kurenai couldn't hold her laughter in any longer. She walked closer to Asuma, and cupped her husband's face between her hands. "You should have seen the look on your face when Ryuu asked _the_ question. I wish I'd had a camera!"

"Oh… you must be _loving_ every minute of my misery, aren't you?"

"I am," she stated bluntly as she moved her hands down and put them on his shoulders. "Now, what made you so angry? Don't tell me it's because of those bad things about Naruto that were written in the morning paper. I don't buy that. Those sport journalists are just being themselves. That's one fact that's never going to change."

Asuma took a deep breath before blurting out his reasons, "It's not fair for them to keep blaming Naruto for our failure! _I'm_ the one who gave that Uchiha kid room to shoot! If you ask me, they should be putting the blame on _me_!"

"You can't mean that."

"Yes, I can! And I _am_ blaming myself!" Asuma started to shout but lowered his voice down instantly when he saw his wife's expression. "Honey, when Sasuke still played for us, I saw him and Naruto play that trick so many times. I couldn't _believe_ I'm still fooled by it."

"Okay… you made a mistake, but it doesn't mean you have to take all the blame."

"Guarding Sasuke was _my_ responsibility. If I didn't leave my post then there's a good possibility that Sasuke would have failed to score and we would have still had a chance to win. But that one goal changed _everything_. Now can you tell me that it wasn't my fault?"

"Asuma, what's done is done. As far as I'm concerned, the whole team should take the blame, including the boy genius himself! He should never let Naruto take the penalty shot, not with Sasuke playing for the other team."

"I'll tell him that," said Asuma as he cracked a little smile. "And you're right about how we should all take the blame. Too bad the press and the fans don't see it that way. They'll _all_ keep blaming Naruto."

"Damn wankers!"

The bearded man was the one to let out a big laugh this time. He pulled his wife's body closer to his and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Damn wankers!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Come on, Yamashiro! There are still forty-five laps to go!"

Aoba, who was running out of breath, could only curse his _insane_ decision to accept Gai's offer to go for a jog earlier this morning. How could a person run one hundred laps and call it a jog? He wasn't trying to join any marathon competition for fuck's sake!

"Gai… don't you think… we've _jogged_... enough?" He asked between breaths. It was hard enough to talk at the time, but when Gai began running closer towards him he started to wish he'd brought his sun-glasses, as Gai's bright green jumpsuit was not exactly easy on the eyes.

"Not enough, my dear compatriot! We should go for at least one hundred laps for the sake of our beloved team! We need to get ready and fit for the new campaign!"

_Fit my ass! For all I know I could end up dead!_

"I agree… but… not even Ibiki… is crazy enough to put us… through this _absurd_ training of yours!"

"You think I should help Ibiki set the team's physical training program up?"

"NO!" Aoba shouted. The thought alone was terrifying. Bracing himself for the misery that was about to come, Aoba got on his feet and started to run.

"Now, that's the spirit that I'm talking about!"

_Oh, just shut the fuck up!_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

For the last five minutes, Raidou had been trying to wake Genma up without much success. He had tried the gentle approach by whispering in his boyfriend's ear, and the _not_ too gentle approach (namely shook the said man's body continuously), but both ways were proven useless.

Now was the time for the harsh one. However, before Raidou managed to kick his life-partner right in the ass, those lovely dark eyes opened slightly and granted him with one of his alluring look.

_Hot damn! But that man's sexy as hell!_

Determined to keep his composure fully intact and not jump the younger man sprawled on the bed in front of him, Raidou decided to use his best stern face and voice. "Get off the bed… _now_!"

"Why? It's still early," Genma was starting to whine.

_God have mercy…_ Not_ the whining too!_

"_Because_ we need to train your left leg, just like Tsunade said."

"Aww… You know that old chick loves to exaggerate things. I know my body well. Trust me, my leg is fine."

"Genma, stop acting like a child and think! In two weeks we're going to start training. We need to get fit!"

"Mmm…" was the only reply that came out of Genma's lips as he stretched his lithe body. That act caused the blanket to shift down and expose skin in certain parts of his body in a way that made his lover's mouth suddenly dry.

Genma got himself up into a sitting position as sensuously as possible, as he knew Raidou was watching his every move – just like he knew, if he played his cards right, the goalie would forget all about training in a little while. "How about trying to get fit _my_ way? I assure you it'll be _so_ much fun."

Without any warning, Raidou grasped Genma's face between his hands and crushed his lips with a savage kiss. In no time at all, satisfied moans were starting to escape from the winger's throat as he cheered inwardly for his victory.

Unfortunately for Genma, his pleasure didn't last for long because Raidou broke the kiss abruptly while keeping his big hands firmly in place, trapping Genma's face.

"Nice try, love, but you are _not_ going to get away this time," hissed Raidou, "Now_…_ get _off_ the bed."

"_No._"

God help him, but by that point Raidou was tempted to use force on Genma. He gritted his teeth instead, the taller guy forced himself to calm down. "Fine, have it your way. But when you get a hamstring pulled in training – or _shit,_ at the first match of the season -- don't you _dare_ come whining to me!"

"Raidou…"

_Oh, that's it! The bastard's doing it on purpose!_

Furiously, Raidou pulled Genma off the bed, made the younger man fall hard on the wood floor and stomping his way out of their bedroom. The last thing he heard before he slammed the door was another whine from Genma.

"Ow…"

At least the whining was genuine this time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kakashi was running.

He was running faster and faster, chasing the invisible figure in front of him: none other than his late father, Sakumo Hatake.

Quite the opposite of what everybody thought, having a legendary football player as a father was not as fun as it seemed. It was more like a double-edge sword. It definitely had its advantages but the bitterness was there as well.

Since he was a little boy, Kakashi had always travelled first class, always got the best treatment, and always got the best seat in every stadium to watch the best match, thanks to the fact that he was the only child of the great Sakumo Hatake. He would get the rare chances to meet with the best football player, the best manager, the best coach on the planet, for they all knew his father. He wore the best clothes, played with the best toys, and when he wanted to follow his father's steps to be a football star, he went to the best football academy for he was the little prince of Hatake.

However, the price for all the privilege was enormous. There was not a day that passed by without people comparing him with the legendary Sakumo Hatake ever since the 14-year-old Kakashi Hatake stepped into the Konoha Football Academy.

_Does he kick as well as his father? Does he cross as well as Sakumo? Does he dribble as fine as Hatake senior? Does he do free kicks as deadly as Konoha White Fang? Does he do this? Does he do that?_

The questions were endless and they almost killed one of the most brilliant talents in the football universe before it got the chance to bloom.

By his third year in the academy Kakashi was so ready to quit and give up on his dream. The burden of the Hatake name on his shoulders seemed too heavy to handle, especially with the public judgment. They watched him so closely, and compared his every goddamn move with his old man! The 'extra attention' was suffocating him and he'd had enough.

If it was not for one man – his coach and best friend, Minato Namikaze – Kakashi would have quit football for good. Except that man refused to let the silver haired boy drown in his despair. Minato's encouraging words to the young winger before he passed away in the same year Kakashi got promoted to the first team were something that Kakashi would never forget. He cherished and treasured them as his way of football. Even more, he treated them as a promise.

_'Kakashi, don't listen to them. Just forget everything they say.'_

_'They won't let me forget. They make sure of it on a daily basis!'_

_'If you can't forget it then face it.'_

_'How!?'_

_'Easy. Show them you're better than Sakumo.'_

_'He was the legend of Konoha FC!'_

_'You'll be a _bigger_ legend than him.'_

_'He booked more than 700 appearances for Konoha FC!'_

_'You'll _break_ the record.'_

_'He made his Premiership debut when he was just 17 years old!'_

_'You'll make it _before_ you reach 17 years of age.'_

_'He scored more than 200 league goals and he was not even the striker!'_

_'I know. He was a right winger, same as you. You'll _score_ more.'_

_'He's considered as the greatest captain Konoha FC ever got!'_

_'You'll be an even _greater_ captain than him.'_

_'He won nine Premiership titles and lifted the crown five times as a captain!'_

_'Then you just have to win _more_, right?'_

_'He…"_

_'I know who he was, son. He was a fantastic, great, brilliant football player. One in a million! But you know what? I __know_you_ too. I can tell winner material when I see it.'_

_'I…"_

_'Look, I have faith in you. The question is… _do _you have it?'_

Now after 11 years, 119 goals and 5 Premiership titles (3 as captain) later, Kakashi was still running.

He was running faster and faster on his treadmill in the private gym of his house, and it seemed that he wouldn't be stopping any time soon.

He still had a score to settle, and a promise to keep.

--TBC--

**Note:**

I know that Kakashi is 13 years older than Naruto in the anime or manga. However, in this story I reduced the age difference.

Naruto and the rest of the Rookie 9 are 21 years old, while Kakashi and the rest of the jounins are 28 years old except for Raidou who is 30 years old.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

To be honest, I really, _really_ want to write the football scene. I really miss it! But on the other hand I really need to give you the full background of this story. So please bear with me. Three or four more chapters of this and then let's party!

I'm dedicating this chapter to my sister who's so crazy in love with this pairing (Shino/Kiba). Love you, sis!

Thanks to my beta, **bloodhill**, I owe you big time.

Thank you so much for the reviews! Love y'all!

**Chapter 4**

"Ah… ah… ah… aahhh… AAAHHH!!!"

Cries of joy filled the room as a pale and very much naked feminine body, that was glistening with sweat, slumped on top of tanned well-built chest.

"Oh… Kiba… Kiba… you're… the best," said the beautiful woman between breaths while the famous Konoha FC midfielder that was lying beneath her, awarded her with one of his naughty smirks.

He gripped the soft shoulders tenderly with his hands. Swiftly, the spiky-haired man shoved his conquer of the week aside so now they were lying down side by side on his king-size bed. Afterward, Kiba held that supple body beside him, within his arms and pulled it close before claiming those sensual lips in a long bone-melting kiss.

"Hmmm…" moaned the red head into Kiba's mouth as her fingertips made delightful motions, up and down the muscular biceps.

When the kiss finally stopped, the female lifted her right hand and sensually traced Kiba's bottom lip with her thumb. "You're one hell of a kisser, Kiba Inuzuka."

A pleased smile outlined his sexy lips. "Well, thank you, babe."

He removed her hand from said lips before she gave the sexy footballer one last kiss before getting off the huge bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Kiba in a seducing tone whilst his hand snatched her slim arm.

"To take a bath. You should take one too."

"Why? I thought we were going to spend all day in bed."

"I'd love to, darling, you know that. But today is the grand opening of the newest Gucci Boutique."

The word 'boutique' snapped something familiar in Kiba's psyche.

_Oh for fuck sake… _not_ again!_

"So?"

"_So_… we're going to go there. You've promised."

_Shite!_

"Oh, really?" asked Kiba again, this time in entirely different tone, he certainly didn't like where this conversation going.

"Yes. I told you all about it last night."

Cynical smile began to form on Kiba's face. "Hmm. You _might_ have inform me about this new place, but I don't recall making any promises to you."

"B-but… everybody is going to be there!"

"By everybody you mean _journalists_ and the _paparazzi_?"

"NO! Everybody as in… everybody… you know… the hottest people in town? Besides, there's this one bag that I really like-"

"Ah… the one that you expect _me_ to buy for _you_, I assume."

Color started to taint the soft cheek.

"Wow!" exclaimed Kiba as he jumped out of the bed and stood in front the blushing girl. "I'm surprised that you still have the decency to blush."

"Hey, watch it, mister!"

"Or what?" retorted Kiba who was not willing to give an inch. "Tell me, Angie, are dating me because you really like me or because you want your face to show up in gossip columns? Or maybe… just for the sake of a new Gucci bag?"

PLAK!

"How dare you!" Hissed the angry red head before she grabbed her clothes that were scattered on the floor and put them on. "And it's _Annie_!"

Rubbing his right cheek that was slightly red, Kiba snatched the blanket from his bed, wrapped it around his hips and then let himself out of the room. He refused to be in the same room with the gold-digger any longer.

Crashed on the beige couch in the living room, Kiba waited for Annie to come out of the bedroom and slam his penthouse door with a vengeance before he grabbed the telephone from the coffee table and pushed the speed dial button.

"Hello?"

"Oi, lad, can I come over?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shino watched in amazement as his best friend who sat at his kitchen table demolishing a plate full of scramble eggs, sausages and bacon. It seemed like the spiky-haired defensive midfielder didn't take a breath between bites. Even said man's giant dog, Akamaru, still had the dignity to calmly drink his milk at the corner of the room.

"You know, Kiba, seeing you now, no one is going to believe that you're a world-class football player. Instead, they're going to think that you're a bum that hasn't eaten in three days," commented Shino -- his left hand still holding a frying-pan -- in a flat-tone voice.

"Don't care, don't give a damn," replied Kiba as he put another sausage in his mouth and chewed it greedily. "I'm starving."

"Don't tell me that you forget to buy groceries again. It's only one dial away, lad!"

"My refrigerator is full of groceries, thank you very much. But you know I can't cook for shit."

"What happen to your troops of admirer? They're usually so eager to please you."

"Ugh, don't talk about them right now!" hissed Kiba who was still very much pissed off at things that had happened earlier that day at his place. "Can I have another glass of milk?"

"Sure." Shino opened the fridge to take out a bottle of fresh milk and poured the white liquid into Kiba's glass.

"That nympho is the sole reason why I ended up here in the first place."

"I thought you don't want to talk about it," teased Shino who right away was awarded with an annoyed glare from his team mate.

"Like I said that nympho-"

"Nympho?"

"Yes, Shino! _Nympho_! I fucked her senseless all night long and yet she still asked for another round this morning. What would you call that type of broad anyway!?"

Shino snickered.

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?" hollered Kiba at his best friend. "I wonder what they'd say about the super-cool Shino Aburame if they could see _you_ now!"

"No worries… after all, they wouldn't believe you."

"Wanker!" Swore the brown-eyed midfielder as he lightly punched Shino on the shoulder. "So where were we?"

"The nympho."

"Right, the nympho. She's sharp, man. _Straight_ to the point!"

"Translation: she didn't make you any breakfast before asking for a token of gratitude."

"Yup, not even an offering to cook one," responded Kiba. "At least the other men or women that I had brought home were a lot more _subtle_."

"Translation: pampered you to death before asking for a token of gratitude."

"A _very_ expensive token of gratitude, I may add."

"Sure it is. Hey, you finished with that?" asked Shino.

"Yes, thank you, lad. You're my hero, you know that?"

The quiet defender ignored Kiba's last remark, he grabbed the empty plate and glass from the table then brought them to the sink. "You need to settle down, Kiba. Find someone who can take care of you."

Someone like you? Asked Kiba inwardly, but didn't dare to say it aloud. He just stared at Shino's back in longing. "I would love to, but in case you haven't noticed, there aren't much good girls or guys left out there. Mostly people who were dating me only wanted instant fame or my money."

"You know my opinion about the matter."

"Yeah, yeah… Childhood sweetheart is the best."

"They already knew and loved you before the fame and money, Kiba. It's the safest choice," said the curly-haired man as he returned to sit beside the Inuzuka.

"The problem is, lad, all my childhood sweethearts don't want to have anything to do with me anymore."

Shino chuckled. "Well, with your reputation. Who could blame them?"

Kiba took a deep breath before saying, "Oh-kay… enough talking about me. Anyway, where's your childhood sweetheart slash the future Mrs. Aburame slash lady-bug? Or is it bug-lady?"

"Over here," stated Suzumebachi Kamizuru curtly. The short light brown-haired girl who just joined the two men at the kitchen glared at Kiba who glared back. Doesn't take a genius to know those two resent each other.

"Kiba, be nice," whispered Shino before he stood to greet his fiancé. "Good morning, coffee?"

Suzumebachi kissed Shino on the lips and greeted back, "Good morning to you too and no thank you for the coffee. I think I'll just grabbed one on my way out. They're already waiting for me at the library."

"Oh, okay. Drive safely, hon."

"I will," replied the tall woman as she walked towards the kitchen's door. However when her eyes caught the sight of Akamaru, she changed her mind and turned her body to face the dog owner. "What's that giant fur-ball doing in my kitchen?"

"Having breakfast," answered Kiba.

"You know I don't like having animals in the house, his fleas are going to get everywhere."

"Hey, my dog is fleas-free! He gets the best treatment. Beside, shouldn't you be excited about fleas since you're studying bugs? They're the same _species_, you know."

Shino Aburame was starting to get a headache. His fiancé and best friend were constantly at each other's throats since they were kids. And as a person who was stuck in the middle, Shino really hated this kind of situation.

"You! Ugh…" Groaned the future entomologist before whining to her fiancé, "Shino?"

The Konoha right full-back rolled his eyes and then shot a pleading look toward his fellow Konoha FC star. Kiba caved.

"Tsk, _fine_," muttered the midfielder. He opened the glass-panel sliding door that connected the kitchen and the backyard then called out for Akamaru, "Go out, boy, and stay there."

Suzumebachi took her time to give Kiba a triumph smile and Shino a kiss before leaving the house for real.

_That bitch! I hate her! HATE HER!_

"You're seriously going to marry her!?" asked Kiba sharply who then regretted it right away when he saw Shino's face.

"Kiba…" He warned.

"Right, it's none of my business."

The mood in the room changed drastically whilst awkwardness blanketed the two friends. Shino certainly didn't like this silence between them but usually when Suzumebachi and Kiba were in the same room, it always ended like this.

Couldn't stand the silence any longer, Shino was starting to open his mouth. But before he could utter any words, Kiba had already beaten him to it.

"Look, I'm so sorry. I'm just being an ass."

Shino smiled. "I'm sorry too."

"Just forget it," replied Kiba returning Shino's smile with one of his own. "So, did you hear anything from Naruto yet?"

Shino's tense body was gradually relaxing. He was glad Kiba had changed the subject. Football was neutral topic. So, it was good.

"Nope. I've tried to contact him several times, but to no use. It's always the machine that answers my phone calls."

"Same here. I guess right now only Hinata and Shikamaru are the only ones who have access to get in touch with him."

"Hn," agreed Shino. "I hope he's okay though, because the last time I saw him, I really didn't like the state he was in. He scored a hat-trick that day, but there was no trace of happiness on his face."

"I'm sure he'll be just fine. When that Sasuke bastard left, he was in an even worse state, but he managed to come out of that fully-intact, right? Hinata helped him then, she'll help him again now."

"No offense, Kiba. But I don't think Naruto ever completely healed from the Sasuke fiasco."

"No way!"

"I have to admit that he did a pretty good job of covering his true feeling, but sometimes when he let his guard down, it's crystal clear. When it comes to Sasuke, he's still in a very fragile condition."

-- TBC --


	6. Chapter 5

**Warning: un-beta'd**

**Chapter 5**

They said world class football players are egomaniacs. As they all have _at least_ one wall that was dedicated for them, or usually, just like what Sasuke Uchiha had here, one whole room.

The room was not too big, but not too small either. Newspaper headlines along with smaller articles was neatly framed and hung on the right side wall and it almost full. Obvious evidences how popular the owner of this room really was. Right across of the wall there was a big wooden cabinet with double glass panel doors. Insides you could see trophies and awards that young Uchiha attained ever since his short legs managed to kick a ball. Ten years was enough for him to fill that cabinet.

The other wall, the one that facing the door was occupied with all the jerseys he ever wore. The collection was started with a number 10 jersey that he wore for his elementary school's team, continued with the jerseys for Konoha Football Academy Team (number 23), Konoha Youth Team (number 20), Konoha Reserve Team (number 13), Konoha FC (number 10) and ended with a jersey that he wore for his new team, Oto FC - another number 10, the sacred number of a striker.

Yet, the main attraction of that room was not hanging on those three walls but kept inside the low cabinet at the centre of the room. A perfect piece of art that was holds the owner most precious awards, the Premiership medals. He had three.

They said the first gained is the most special and Sasuke didn't deny it. It was exceptional for so many reasons. He got the medal in his debut year. He got medal the same year he won the golden boots as top scorer. He got the medal together with his…

_Fuck!_

Even though he was trying hard not to look at the picture, Sasuke can't help but glance in that direction. He already banished the other pictures of that person but one. He just couldn't throw it away, and that wasn't because his lack of trying.

The striker had to admit though that the picture was a striking one. It was taken as both of them lift the premiership trophy together with a big smile on their face and the medal on their neck. The atmosphere that day was amazing. Thousands of fans get on their feet, screaming and singing their praises to the deadliest partnership Konoha had ever had. That was simply the happiest day of his life and he thought many more would come.

_If only… Fuck!_

The ringtone of his mobile disturbed his brooding and the youngest Uchiha welcomed it. Any distraction was good since he was getting tired of feeling so gloomy over this… _this_ petty matter.

"Hello?"

"Hellooooo~ Oh Mighty one…"

"What do you want, Sakon?"

"How the hell you always manage to tell apart of our voice is still a mystery... even our mother sometimes got it wrong."

"Well, you two are a jerk, but you're more a jerk than your brother. I just can hear it."

"Screw you!" hollered the winger, "Must know a lot of a jerk then."

"At least two."

"Ha-ha-ha! There's nothing you can say that will make my mood sour, Uchiha. Ready for the party?"

"What party?"

"The party where you're the guest of honor."

"Another one?"

"Yup. Ukon and I were assigned to get you to the party. No excuses."

"You won't get one."

"Alright! We'll already in front of your building."

"I'll be right down."

Once again Sasuke's eyes fixed on the picture. Slowly his right hand reached for it and removes it from the wall. Then, he hurried out of the room and throws away the framed photo into the rubbish bin before he could change his mind.

_It's about time..._

**TBC**


End file.
